20 Yard Dumpster: Size, Capacity and Price
A 20 yard dumpster costs a median of $419. Most companies list between $350 and $490. It measures 22′ × 8′ × 4.5′ and holds about 6 pickup truck loads.
What a 20 yard is for
It suits a kitchen remodel, flooring for a whole house, or a 25-square roof. Most commonly rented for kitchen remodel, whole-house flooring, large roof tear-off and estate cleanout.
What it needs on site
A 20 yard is 22′ long, 8′ wide and 4.5′ high, and the truck needs roughly 32′ of clear length to drop and collect it, plus about 22′ of vertical clearance for the hoist arm. That is the measurement people miss: the container fits the driveway, and the truck does not. Low branches, carport roofs and power drops stop more deliveries than tight gateways do.
Twenty-two feet is longer than most people picture. It takes a two-car driveway lengthwise or a single-car driveway entirely, and the four-and-a-half-foot walls are around chest height, so heavy items go through the rear door rather than over the side.
Put it on the flattest, firmest ground you have. A loaded 20 yard is heavy enough to mark asphalt in warm weather, so lay plywood under the wheels and the rails if the driveway matters to you. How to protect a driveway.
Weight, and where the bill actually comes from
A 20 yard rental typically includes 2 tons, and everything above that is billed at a median of $76 a ton. The container will physically hold far more than the allowance covers, which is the trap: a 20 yard can be half empty by volume and still over on weight if it is full of shingles, tile, plaster or dirt.
Light and bulky is what this size handles best. Furniture, cabinetry, timber, flooring and general household clearance run out of room long before they run out of tons. Dense material is the opposite problem, and a 20 yard of concrete or soil would be over the truck's legal weight while the container still looked half empty, so most yards will not load it. How overage charges work.
Should you size up or down?
A 15 yard is 4.5 loads against 6, and runs about $54 less at the median. If you are confident the job is small, that is the saving. A 30 yard gives you 9 loads for about $101 more. That is almost always cheaper than a second haul, so if you are genuinely between the two, size up.
Jobs that usually take a 20 yard
- Roof Tear-Off 2.5 to 5 tons for a typical 20 to 30 square roof
- Kitchen Remodel 1.5 to 3 tons
- Deck Removal 1.5 to 3 tons
- Basement Cleanout 1.5 to 3 tons
Each of those pages works out whether that particular job will go over the weight allowance, which is the part that decides what you actually pay.
What a 20 yard costs by state
| State | Median | Typical range | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $399 | $370 – $425 | 23 |
| Arizona | $350 | $325 – $400 | 31 |
| Arkansas | $438 | $350 – $500 | 26 |
| California | $450 | $395 – $525 | 27 |
| Colorado | $382 | $350 – $426 | 32 |
| Florida | $425 | $374 – $485 | 53 |
| Georgia | $385 | $365 – $425 | 34 |
| Illinois | $425 | $380 – $480 | 39 |
| Indiana | $405 | $375 – $445 | 40 |
| Louisiana | $495 | $395 – $525 | 27 |
| Maryland | $495 | $425 – $529 | 21 |
| Massachusetts | $620 | $500 – $725 | 26 |
| Michigan | $403 | $350 – $475 | 48 |
| Missouri | $387 | $350 – $405 | 30 |
| New Jersey | $597 | $550 – $660 | 28 |
| New York | $500 | $410 – $550 | 27 |
| North Carolina | $375 | $335 – $450 | 47 |
| Ohio | $425 | $400 – $465 | 64 |
| Pennsylvania | $475 | $425 – $540 | 33 |
| South Carolina | $385 | $350 – $469 | 29 |
| Tennessee | $450 | $389 – $500 | 35 |
| Texas | $430 | $400 – $495 | 67 |
| Utah | $338 | $280 – $375 | 26 |
| Washington | $450 | $365 – $450 | 23 |
| Wisconsin | $423 | $325 – $500 | 30 |
States with at least 8 published prices at this size. All states.
Questions
- How much does a 20 yard dumpster cost?
- The median published price for a 20 yard dumpster is $419, with most companies between $350 and $490. Based on 1075 companies' own published rates.
- What are the dimensions of a 20 yard dumpster?
- Roughly 22 feet long, 8 feet wide and 4.5 feet high. It needs about 32 feet of clearance to be delivered and about 23 feet of overhead room for the truck to tip it.
- What fits in a 20 yard dumpster?
- About 6 pickup truck loads, a kitchen remodel, flooring for a whole house, or a 25-square roof.
- How much weight can a 20 yard dumpster hold?
- Physically more than your allowance covers. Rentals typically include 2 tons, and overage is billed by the ton at a median of $76. Heavy material like concrete, dirt or shingles hits the limit long before the container looks full.